Things to do in Fukuoka, Japan! where to eat, vintage designer shopping, & dreamy daytrips
hey! Welcome to Fukuoka this city is such a gem filled with lots of scrumptious eats, scenic landmarks, vintage shopping, and daytrips so without further ado let’s get started! we arrived pretty late but Hakata Station was still as bright as ever especially since it was late November Christmas was just around the corner and Christmas markets were set up throughout the city one of the biggest one was right here outside of Hakata Station I hear that there’s usually events popping up here throughout the year so I’m sure there’ll be something to look forward to even if you’re not visiting around the holidays but let’s be real after hours of traveling our first mission was food and in Fukuoka that means one thing ramen so our first stop was the Hakata noodle street inside Hakata Station the whole area is lined with different ramen shops because Fukuoka is the birthplace of tonkatsu ramen but tonight we’re having tsukemen at Kanetora not gonna lie the line was super long and it was quite a bit of a wait but definitely worth it tsukemen is typically served dry with a rich dipping broth and honestly to be able to get the perfect chewy noodle texture and reducing the broth enough to be liquid gold without being overwhelmingly oily is an impressive skill even if noodles aren’t your thing they also have char siu pork over rice and extra clear broth for you to dilute the dipping broth afterwards for a hearty cup of soup 100% would recommend trying if you can we eventually made it back to the hotel this time we’re staying at Hotel Torifito which is in the Hakata gion district as soon as you walk in you’ll notice the traditional cushion motifs littered as decor throughout the room there’s a mini bar with cups kettle and our fridge the bathroom is just to the right standard bathroom with everything you need the hotel itself also has a small onsen for guests so there’s multiple options when it comes to bathing as for our bed is just right at the end of the room there’s also this tiny little nook where you can comfortably sit and work the safe and other amenities like mirror and hair dryers are also right under the table so everything is within reach overall a cozy little room for two first up today is a tea omakase tasting at Saryo Yamashina as a tea lover this was one of the top things I wanted to do here Japan is well known for their tea and each region has its own specialties and what better way than experiencing Kyushu in a meticulously prepared tea and dessert pairing the cafe looks quite unassuming on the outside but the interior is well designed almost as if you’re stepping into someone’s kitchen the whole experience is super intimate both tea and dessert are prepared right in front of you and what’s even better is that the host really takes their time to make sure you understand where each ingredient came from and what makes it so special all in both Japanese and English and although I’ve been to a similar tea omakase experience in Tokyo I much prefer this one because the host really involves you into the whole experience our next order of business is more dessert now hear me out if you love sweets specifically choux cream kohakudo is a must try only catch is their schedule varies each month and sold at a first come first serve basis lucky for me today was opening day and even though they had just opened 30 minutes ago lines were long and options were limited we did manage to snag two the original and a white chocolate cranberry I understood immediately why they sell out each day I really wish I could try some of their other flavors too if you’re interested make sure to check out their Instagram for hours and flavors of the month anyways it’s time to walk off all the sugar so let’s head to the nearby Mandarake Mandarake should be a familiar name to those who love Japanese pop culture its stores are filled to the brim with everything Japanese pop culture has to offer though I will say this location was really well organized and prices were arguably better than the more popular locations in Tokyo so as you can imagine we may have done some damage but that’s not going to deter us from grabbing a taxi to our next stop the famous Takayama Pawn Shop we’ve all heard about how amazing luxury shopping is in Japan and in Kyushu Takayama Pawn Shop is the place to be look at the amount of designer inventory they had this whole floor was dedicated to rows and rows of LV Chanel watches and even clothing pricing will vary depending on condition and when they receive the bag so if you guys are curious here’s a quick little montage for prices for you to gauge by the time we made it out of the store the sun was starting to set but we are not done yet because just down the block is another second hand shop called 2nd Street honestly compared to Takayama the luxury selection here is definitely much more limited the store itself is huge with a lot more everyday items and appliances along with clothing it’s definitely more suitable for locals but if you’re already in the area it doesn’t hurt to stop by to see what gems you might find okay now before heading back to Hakata there was one more place we needed to head to and that is LA LA Port honestly we had no business coming here aside from visiting this life size RX93FF NU Gundam we visited the Unicorn Gundam in Odaiba Tokyo a couple of times along with the the RX78F00 in the now closed Gundam factory in Yokohama but this was our first time visiting the Fukuoka one the mall itself is humongous you can literally spend multiple days in here but they do have a Gundam side F and since each Gundam has its own area limited model kit we decided to come to test our luck and if you haven’t noticed by now we haven’t ate anything since this morning and that is because we are ending the day with some yakiniku at the famous Nikuichi they pretty much have a line out the door from the moment they open till they close so we were super lucky to be able to snag a last minute reservation Fukuoka is known for their beef tongue and Nikuichi is arguably one of the best place to try it they are a bit more pricier than your average all you can eat spots but the quality of meat is definitely on another level we also love that it’s charcoal grilled so you get that nice smoky flavor infused into each piece their side dishes like the cold noodles were also really well done they definitely deserve to have a line out the door but I highly recommend trying to snag a reservation on their website if you can we’re starting off day 2 bright and early because I’ve always wanted to experience dining on a train and I mean like a full on luxury dining experience on a moving train and today we’re hopping on the Rail Kitchen Chikugo they offer a few different routes on the northern Kyushu area we booked their weekend Fukuoka departure and arrival route which includes a multiple course lunch the whole journey is about an hour long and the menu changes seasonally but they’re all created by local chefs and all food are prepared right on board so everything was super fresh though flavorwise it’s definitely just meh it’s not the best or worst meal you’ll have but maybe the autumn menu just didn’t resonate with me but it honestly wasn’t mind blowing the main selling point of this dining experience though was definitely the vibes and how adorable the decor of the train was there were just so much photo ops inside and outside of the train the journey includes a 20 minute pit stop for you to take as many pictures as you like the crew was hospitable and they’ll encourage and help you to take as much photos and videos as you like not to mention the whole experience is super immersive you get to meet the conductor clip your ticket as a souvenir stamp your own menu definitely a super unique dining experience highly highly recommend trying at least once in your life after our eventful journey we part ways because I have my first nail appointment in Japan this is the first time I’ve ever done my nails in Japan so I am so stoked honestly I was kind of nervous because I booked this pretty last minute and the salon is pretty local so I was worried that I would have a hard time communicating I booked the bring your own design course at Lily Beauty so everything I wanted including nail gems were already included in the price these were the reference photos that I showed her and this is what I got I thought she did an amazing job and I love that the salon has set my private booth so I wasn’t afraid to use my broken Japanese with my nail tech she was super patient and thorough really made sure that I liked every little thing from shaping to the colors ten out of 10 would do this again and by the time I finished it was pretty late in the afternoon so we met back up at the Tenjin Underground mall which is this massive underground passage lined with plenty of shops and little cafes our mission here was to try the famous ringo apple tarts I’m an absolute sucker for apple desserts and these did not disappoint the tart was perfectly flaky and the apple filling had the right balance of tart and sweetness really wish we got more because these were so so good for dinner we decided to head over to Hyotan Sushi this is a really popular spot in Fukuoka there’s always a line but don’t let it deter you because even though it looks pretty small from the outside they have two floors of seating so the line moves super fast they’re known to have super fresh and affordable sushi we got the most popular today special platter along with a tuna tataki and baked lobster to share this platter was so so worth it for 3600 yen look how fresh this was the appetizers were also super tasty their menu is actually pretty extensive so even if you’re in a bigger group you’ll have no problem finding different dishes to share amongst yourselves though I highly recommend everyone getting their own platter of today’s special so good it’s Day 3 and we’re changing it up and heading out on a road trip we rented a car for today if you’re interested in learning more about the process feel free to check out this video but anyways we’re heading to Itoshima this island has been on my bucket list for ages specifically for this Torii gate right here I literally have this place bookmarked for 10 years but of course it decides to be super windy and rainy the day I finally come but it’s okay because this meant we had the whole beach to ourselves kind of only those who were desperate enough was able to get around this giant puddle but pro tip there’s actually a small entrance and pathway to the right that leads directly to the beach The Torii Gate is part of the Shionomisaki Shrine whose deity is believed to protect fisherman and there’s also a couple stone behind it and legend says it’ll grant love on a good day especially during low tide you’ll be able to step right under the tori gate for a cute pic and get a closer view of the couple stone behind it but even though I wasn’t able to do that this time around I’m glad to be able to check this place off my bucket list after taking our pics we headed down the shore to where there’s a bunch of photo spots including stairways to heaven swings etcetera we didn’t spend too much time here but if you’re interested I highly recommend bookmarking the Zauo Main restaurant to easily find the spot the reason why we didn’t spend too much time here is because we had to head back up the shore right at 10:00am to snag a seat at Itoshima Seafood they’re known for their beautiful seafood don and because it’s located right by the ocean they also have these huge windows where you can snap the most perfect picture of your food we were unfortunately one step too late and was seated just a row behind the windows but luckily there’s a window right by my side where you can see the tori gate and couple stone like I mentioned before people usually get their seafood dons here but after my amazing meal at Hyotan Sushi I could not pass up on their omakase lunch special there’s only 30 sets available each day and it does take them some time to prepare this so if you’re in a rush don’t get it but otherwise for 4800 yen I thought it was worth it it’s just as fresh if not fresher than hyotan sushi and each piece of fish was hefty you’ll definitely be stuffed afterwards even though it’s just 10 pieces and after lunch it’s time for some dessert we’re headed up north to a mariachi salt maker they are a bit out of the way especially if you don’t have a car but it’s 100% worth coming now you might be thinking why are you going to a salt maker for dessert Sophie? that’s literally the last place to go for dessert well you’re not wrong they are a salt factory and sells their inhosue salt on site but they also have the best pudding flavors vary each day but the original one is definitely the most coveted for a good reason the pudding itself has a strong egg flavor but when paired with caramelized sugar and a pinch of salt it’s perfection we also tried the salted caramel one which was definitely on the sweeter side but the saltiness and bitterness of the caramel made it so addicting to eat but even if pudding isn’t your thing it’s still worth coming just for this view and their on site salt shop aside from the regular sea salt there’s different flavor mixes that you can try including herb and curry salt we ultimately decided to bring home some herb salt as a souvenir and these are amazing with fresh fries there’s still a lot more to explore on Itoshima but we had other activities to check off today so we’re off to our next destination Midori no Oto Forest Cafe yes we’re eating back to back to back but hear me out just finding a seat here is a hike in itself so a small drink and light bite is well deserved and secondly this view and atmosphere is 100% worth it the cafe itself is just a small little shack at the entrance of the forest each person is required to order a drink and they have plenty of chairs for you to use or if you’re a big camper you can also bring your own chairs the food is self service so I recommend ordering and picking up your food before heading up to find a place to sit to avoid making multiple trips because their chairs are quite heavy and it’s quite a bit of a hike depending on where you want to sit so just be mindful of that we got a small latte lemonade and a frittata to be honest the drinks and food aren’t good at all so you’re really paying for the scenery and atmosphere that you otherwise wouldn’t get at another cafe I would recommend coming at least once and really wish we could have stayed longer but I probably wouldn’t come back as for our final destination of the day we headed over to Koraku Kiln for their unlimited ceramics treasure hunting experience Koraku Kiln has been around for 150 years in Arieta Japan and is still making amazing ceramic pieces today the Kiln not only offers tours of their workshop but also offers a fun little treasure hunting experience where you can fill a basket with as much ceramics as you like there are two options to choose from one at 6600 yen where you can scour for pieces with simpler designs and a more expensive version where you can pick up more intricate colourful pieces at 12,000 yen I also love that there’s absolutely no pressure at all to do this you can take your time wander around and see what catches your eye first before committing to anything we ultimately decided to go with the cheaper more simple design option because we were mainly looking for things that we use often and would blend well with our existing kitchenware but even then there was so much to sift through and time absolutely flew by we unfortunately got there a little too late so we weren’t able to maximize our treasure hunt since it’s typically 90 minutes long but because the manager knew we were traveling from the US she was nice enough to squeeze us in for 60 minutes so FYI make sure to get there before 2PM luckily we were still able to find some amazing pieces they also have plenty of packing materials to keep them safe and sound I’ll be posting a haul soon but feel free to check out this video to see everything that we got as we made our way back to Fukuoka we had to make a pit stop at another Takayama location just to see what their selection look like and honestly this location was pretty disappointing there were a good amount of inventory but they were mainly cheaper poor condition bags and since nothing was really resonating we quickly left even then we still got back pretty late so we ended up grabbing ramen at Fukuoka’s famous Shin Shin ramen I’ve heard mixed reviews about Shin Shin but since it’s a household name here in Fukuoka I had to try it for myself and personally I thought it was a pretty solid option broth was flavorful and noodles were authentic was it the most amazing ramen ever probably not but it’s definitely a great spot for a quick ramen run it’s our last day and we can’t leave Fukuoka without trying mentaiko and so I booked this picture perfect restaurant that serves up the heartiest mentaiko course with your own personal pot of rice and multiple side dishes where you can experience mentaiko in various different ways my favorite was making my own ochazuke aka tea rice this was such a satisfying way to start our day if possible I recommend trying to request for a window seat when booking so you can dine with their amazing center court garden and if there’s anything else we have to do in Fukuoka it’s definitely to visit Daizaifu Legend says this is the place to be for wisdom especially if you pet this cow you’ll get wiser and if you’re a student pass your exams with ease so if you’re still in school make sure you do so but aside from wisdom Daizaifu itself is beautiful and their shopping street is lined with so many great snacks we couldn’t help but did a little food crawl even though we had just ate some must tries include umegae mochi which is baked mochi filled with fresh azuki beans warabi mochi on a stick and this frozen pudding so so good this was such a gem it’s a bit off the beaten path but trust me it’s so worth it you have to try it eventually we made our way back to tenjin for another must try im donuts? this insanely popular donut spot originated in Fukuoka so it’s a no brainer that we had to try this before we left luckily the line wasn’t too long even though it was around 2PM we probably waited for about 10 minutes before making it into the store and there was still a good amount of selections available including some location exclusive flavors unfortunately there wasn’t much of the fresh cream donuts left but I did snag the last chocolate orange one which wasn’t good but the original Brioche Donut is definitely the bread winner for a reason it’s so good I could probably devour multiple of these in one sitting so light so fluffy so chewy so delicious of the traditional donut offerings the crazy nuts one was definitely my favorite the regular donuts texture isn’t as soft as the brioche ones but but the flavor was great if you like caramel pecans you’ll love this and since we’re already heading up all the iconic spots in Fukuoka we made sure to make our way to Canal City which is a true Fukuoka icon literally branding itself as a city within the city the mall itself is a little dated in my opinion but they did have a Namco Gundam base and a fountain show which happens at the top of every hour and if you’re a big shopper you can easily spend the whole day here there’s also lots of amazing cafes and yatais aka food stalls unique to Fukuoka within the area unfortunately we didn’t have time for them this trip but I did manage to squeeze the airport themed Fuk coffee I mainly wanted to come for their stickers but then also try a latte and their affogato jelly which were both really good I definitely want to come back to try their famous pudding and coffee selection to end our trip we grab dinner at the Viral Hakata Akachokobe known for their kettle udon aside from udon they also have other things like Oden and other izakaya faves we tried the keema udon and the tantan udon definitely get the keema udon if you come it’s so much more flavorful the Oden and gyoza were also great dishes to share we ended up placing multiple order of these because they were so good they’re also open super late so perfect if you’re looking for a late night spot we had an early flight out the next morning so that wraps it up for our Fukuoka trip even though it was my first time here I absolutely loved it there’s still so much I haven’t explored here in Fukuoka so hopefully I’ll be back very soon as always thank you so much for watching and if you like this video and want to see more make sure to like and subscribe till next time!
Your Fukuoka itinerary is here! Follow along as we explore some of Fukuoka’s iconic landmarks, including daytrips to Daizafu and Itoshima. Feasting at some of Fukuoka’s renowned eateries and a unique luxury train dining experience via the Rail Kitchen Chikugo, all while checking out their vintage designer shopping scene.
0:00 intro
0:21 hakata station, kanetora tsukemen, hotel tour
2:13 day 1: tea omakase, cream puffs, mandarake, vintage designer shopping, lalaport gundam, yakiniku
7:52 day 2: the rail kitchen chikugo, nail appt, tenjin shopping, hyotan sushi
11:01 day 3: itoshima daytrip, more sushi, salt pudding, treetop forest cafe, ceramics treasure hunting, shinshin ramen
17:28 day4: mentaiko breakfast, daizaifu food crawl, i’m donut?, canal city, kettle udon
20:50 outro
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1 Comment
will visit Fukuoka again very soon, this video got me so excited!